Washing-machine.



N0.'737,631. PATBNTBD SEPT. 1, 1903.

T. Y. HUGHLETT.

WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 21. 1901.

N0 MODEL.

2 SHEETS-11331 1.

Patented September 1, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS Y. HUGHLET'I, OF KILMARNOCK, VIRGINIA.

WASHING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 7 37,631, dated September 1, 1903.

Application filed October 21,1901. Serial No. 79,456. (No model.) I

To (0Z5 whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS Y. HUGHLETT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kilmarnock, in the county of Lancaster, State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Washing-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. This invention relates to washing machines; and it has for its object to provide an improved construction wherein the fabrics to be washed will be held upon a movable part and rubbed thereby against a fixed part or board in a manner similar to washing by hand, the movable member or rubber being yieldably held, so that wear upon the fabric is reduced to a minimum.

Objects and advantages of the invention having reference to details of structure will be understood from the following description.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views, Figure 1 is a perspective View of the machine with the parts set up and ready for operation. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken longitudinally through the machine on line 2 2 of Fig. 4, the washing-board and rubber with its hangers in one of the compartments of the body being shown in elevation. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of one of the removable washboards. Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the upper portion of the body of the machine in the plane of the link 52 in Fig. 1, the uprights and leaves being shown in folded positions and the scrubbers removed. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one end portion of a movable rubber and showing the mechanism for permitting rotatable adjustment thereof. Fig. 6 is a horizontal section through partition which separates the two compartments.

Referring now to the drawings, the present washing-machine consists of the body or receptacle and which is tapered in the direction of its bottom and is divided into two compartments 11 and 12 by means of the transverse partition 13, and these two compartments may for the purpose of convenience be termed tubs. The upper edge of the tub 12 is somewhat lower than the upper edge of the tub 11, and the upper edge of the partition is flush with the upper edge of the tub 12 fora purpose which will be hereinafter explained.

Pivoted to the sides of the receptacle 10 and near to the upper edges thereof through the medium of pivots 14 are the uprights 14 and 15, connected at their upper ends above the base by the cross-piece 16, the lower ends of the uprights extending to the lower edge of the body, and engaged therewith are pins 17, which are engaged also with the body to prevent accidental pivotal movementof the uprights. The lower portions of the uprights are halved, as shown, and when the pins 17 are withdrawn the uprights maybe swung down to rest upon the side edges of the tub 12 and with their upper faces flush with the upper edges of the tub 11.

Depending from the cross-piece 16 are the ears 19, to each of which is removably pivoted a lever 20, the ends of the levers being connected by the cross-bars 21, forming handles by means of which the levers may be operated.

In each of the tubs 11 and 12 is disposed an arcuate washboard 22, the concave face of which is disposed upwardly and is corrugated, as shown at 23. Each of the boards rests with its lower end upon a block 24 and with its upper portion against the inner face of the outer end of its respective tub, so that it may be easily and quickly inserted and removed, as desired.

In substitution of these boards there may be used other boards, as shown in Fig. 3, consisting of a frame including sides 25 and 26 and connecting end pieces 27 and28, the sides having the trunnions of rollers 29 journaled therein. It will be noted that the board in Fig. 3 is provided with legs 30, which rest upon the block at the bottom of the tub adjacent the partition, and it will be understood that the boards in Fig. 2 have similar legs.

Each tub is provided with a reciprocatory rubber, which are duplicates, so that a description of one will suffice for both. rubber, as shown at 31, is elliptical in cross- The section, and one side thereof is formed of a corrugated sheet or board 3:2, having perforations 33 therethrough, while the opposite side is formed of a series of rollers 34, journaled in the end frames 35. The differentlyconstructed sides are divided on the major transverse axis of the rubber.

The end frames have the longitudinal crosspieces 36 and the transverse pieces 37, and on each longitudinal piece is pivoted a plate 38 centrally thereof to permit of rotation of the rubber with respect to the plates, the rubber being held against such rotation at times by the catches 39 on the piece 36, which are adapted to engage and hold the piece or plate 38. Thus by disengaging the catches the rubber may be rotated with respect to.the plates. Pivoted to each plate 38 at points between its center and its ends are the rods 40 and 41, the rod 41 being in turn pivoted to one of the levers 20, so that the rubber is thus suspended. Pivoted also to the levers 20 inwardly from the rods 4-1 are the rods 42, the lower ends of which are provided with cross heads or pins 43, which are engaged with guideways 44 on the partition between the tubs. Engaged with each bar 40 is a temperscrew 45, with which is connected a helical spring 46 through the medium of the nut 47, to which the end of the spring is attached and with which the screw is engaged, the opposite end of the spring being provided with a hook 47, which is removably engaged with the rod 42. The helical spring holds the rubber yieldably against its corresponding scrub-board, while the temper-screw permits of adj ustment of the spring to vary the pressure of the rubber against the board.

When the tubs are to be cleansed, the springs may be unhooked from the rods 42 and hooked over the levers 20 to hold the ru bbers elevated.

At each side edge of each rubberthat is, at the edges where the unlike faces meet are arranged fabric-holding devices, each of which consists of a wire 50, of spring material, the ends of which are engaged with the end frames of the rubber, while the intermediate portion is bent to form a plurality of open outwardly-directed rings 51. By grasping any one of these rings and drawing it out- Wardly the spring-wire may be moved far enough to engage the end of a fabric therebeneath, and when the ring is released the wire will clamp the fabric in place. The opposite end of the fabric may be then engaged under the wire at the opposite side of the rubber, the fabric being passed over the face of the rubber that is adjacent to the cooperating scrub-board. By then operating the levers the rubber is re'ciprocated over the scrubboard to rub the fabric thereagainst to cleanse it. When the opposite face of the rubber is to be used, the rubber is reversed, as above explained.

It will be noted that the scrub-board at one side has larger corrugations than the other, which adapts it for coarser fabrics.

When the machine is not in use for washing, the rods may be disengaged from the levers and placed in the tubs or laid away, the rubbers being placed in the tubs and the levers disengaged from the cross-beam and laid upon the upper edge of the partition and the end of the tub 12. The uprights are then swung into reclining positions, as above described. Leaves 50 and 51 are connected to the upper edges of the sides of the tubs by means of the links 52, engaged with their ends in rings and 61, carried, respectively, by the sides of the tub or body and the leaves. With this construction when the uprights have been lowered the leaves are lifted and moved inwardly to lie upon the upper edges of the tub 11 and the faces of the uprights to form a table.

It will be understood that in practice modifications of the specific construction shown may be made and that any suitable materials and proportions may be used for the various parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Connected to the rods 40 and 41 at each end of each rubber are the ends of a V-shaped spring-wire 53, which at its angle or apex is bent into any number of convolutions. This spring prevents excessive wabbling of the rubber, while permitting ease of movement on its pivot connection with the rods 40 and 41.

What is claimed is 1. In a washing-machine, the combination with a tub having a scrub-board therein, of pivoted levers, rods connected with the levers, a rubber having its ends connected with the rods, additional rods connected at their upper ends to the levers and having their lower ends slidingly mounted, and yieldable connections between the rubber and the second rods.

2. In a washing-machine, the combination with a tub having a scrub-board therein, of pivoted levers having'rods depending therefrom, a rubber having its ends connected to the rods, additional rods pivoted at their upper ends to the levers and having their lower ends slidably mounted, yieldable means for holding the rubber in operative relation to the scrub-board and means for adjusting the yieldability of said means.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS Y. IIUGHLETT.

Witnesses:

W. H. 'HUGHLETT, W. T. LUTTRELL. 

